Pull-on device for shoes.



W. M. HURLEY.

PULL-0N DEVICE FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4,1914.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

c. swam.

WILLIAM M. HURLEY, OF ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 UNITED SI-IOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PULL-ON DEVICE FOR SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. HURLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockland, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pull-On Devices for Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boots and shoes and particularly to a device usually arranged at the top of the shoe upper at the back and sometimes at the front for pulling the boot or shoe onto the foot and is an improvement upon the device heretofore used for this purpose.

Broadly speaking, the pull-on device embodying this invention is made as a tab which when attached to the top of the shoe upper projects but a short distance above said top, and which comprehends a covered core-piece, and the objects of the invention are to construct a pull-on device in such manner that the core-piece is covered and thereby entirely concealed or at least its exposed portion; that is flexible so that it may be laid flat while being attached to the shoe-upper and subsequently bent transversely to conform to the curvature of the completed shoe-upper in order that it shall have an ultimate transverse curvature to conform to the shoe-upper instead of being made flat and causing the shoe-upper to conform to it, such curvature enabling it to be grasped to better advantage by the thumb and forefinger when pulling on the shoe, and also adding rather than detracting from the artistic appearance of the shoe. While in the embodiment of my invention here shown and described, all these advantages are obtained, yet I desire it to be understood that structures embodying any of these objects come within the spirit and scope of my invention. In the form here shown for illustrating my invention, I employ a segmental core-piece, that is to say, a small piece having one edge curved and its other edge straight or approximately so, and a covering-piece of suitable contour to be arranged upon the core-piece and by a folding or molding process, or otherwise, to entirely or substantially cover and thereby conceal said core-piece or at least the exposed portion thereof. Both said pieces are flexible so that when assembled, the device as a whole, is flexible. Said core-piece is made very wide and not very long so that when covered and secured to the shoe-upper it will extend but a short distance above the top thereof, and when so proportioned its greatest flexibility is from side to side, thereby to enable it to readily conform to the curvature of the top of the shoe-upper yet from top to bottom it may have but little or no flexibility.

Figure l is a side view of a pull-on device embodying this invention, it being represented as secured to a shoe-upper.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a core-piece.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a covering-piece.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the completed device.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a modified form of the invention, it being represented as attached to a shoe-upper.

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the same, and

Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a shoe-upper of any suitable construction. The pull-on device consists of a core-piece or filler 2, and a covering-piece 10. The core-piece 2, may be composed of a piece of relatively thin sole-leather or other flexible material of a substantial thickness. It may be, and is here shown, as segmental, its contour comprehending a curved side or edge 3, and an approximately straight side or edge 4-, see Fig. 6, but this particular contour is more especially one of design to give to the finished product an artistic shape or design, and hence may be varied at Will. It is, or may be made quite wide as compared with its length, and such proportionate dimensions exist in the core-piece here shown, wherea the core-piece of the modified form shown in Figs. 9 to 11, is of lesser width compared to its length, although in contour it is of a similar segmental form. This flexible core-piece may be made of a varying thickness if desired, as for instance, its side-portions and lower edge portions may be gradually reduced in thickness and is here so illustrated. In the Wider form the thumb and fingers may obtain a good grip on it by which to pull on the shoe, and in a narrower form the thumb and fingers may obtain a good grip on it and adjacent portion of the upper to pull. on the shoe, but in each instance the grip is much better ob tained by reason of the core-piece being flexible.

The covering-piece may be composed of upper leather, cloth, or other suitable flexible material, and of a contour suitable to be folded over and upon the core-piece, thereby to entirely conceal it. It is here represented in Fig. 7, of quadrangular shape, but this shape will or may vary according to the shape of the core-piece. It is purposely made as wide or wider than the core-piece, and of a length suflicient to cover both sides of the core-piece, thereby admitting of its being folded over and upon said core-piece to entirely conceal it, or at least, to entirely conceal its exposed portion which projects above the tOp of the shoe-upper when attached thereto. To apply the covering-piece to the core-piece, a suitable die may be employed over which the covering-piece is placed and the core-piece is thrust into the die by pressure, whereupon the coveringpiece becomes folded about the core-piece, but the particular manner in which this is done, whether by a folding or molding process, is not material to the scope of my invention, but when done, however, a part of the coveringpiece extends over one side of the core-piece and another part thereof extends over the other side of the core-piece thereby inclosing it, and the side-portions of said parts are crowded inward toward each other so that the ends of the core-piece are covered.

The covering-piece is usually made of sufficient dimensions to enable its end-portions to extend beyond the straight edge of the core-piece, as indicated in Fig. 8, thereby to form an attaching-portion; but if the contour of the core-piece should be the same as that of the folded covering-piece, it would still come within the scope of my invention. The covering-piece is secured to the corepiece by any suitable adhesive or cementitious substance, so that it becomes a finished product ready for attachment to the shoeupper. The core-piece is quite thin and when covered with upper leather and the tab thus completed, said tab is sufliciently thin to be quite flexible, and on account of its flexibility, it may be laid flat on a shoeupper while being stitched thereto, and the line or lines of stitches employed for attaching the outer and inner parts of the Copies of this patent may be obtained for shoe-upper, are or may be extended across the lower edge or attaching-portion of the device, and subsequently the device will easily bend to conform to any curvature of the shoe-upper at the back or front thereof.

When the device is attached to the shoeupper, only its curved upper edge-portion projects above the top of the shoe-upper, which gives to the shoe an attractive appearance, yet provides a small thickened or bulbous portion of sufficient area to be firmly grasped between the thumb and fore-finger to enable the shoe to be drawn onto the foot.

I claim 1. A pull-on device for boots and shoes consisting of a flexible tab comprising a segmental core-piece and a flexible inclosing-piece therefor.

2. A pull-on device for boots and shoes consisting of a tab comprising a segmental core-piece having its lower edge-portion formed of a reduced thickness and an inclosing-piece therefor.

3. A pull-on device for boots and shoes consisting of a tab comprising a segmental core-piece and a covering-piece folded about said core-piece in such manner as to inclose it.

4. A pull-on device for boots, and shoes consisting of a tab comprising a segmental core-piece and a covering-piece extended over the top and bothsides and ends of said core-piece in such manner as to conceal it.

5. A pull-011 device for boots and shoes consisting of a tab comprising a segmental core-piece, and an inclosing-piece therefor, the end portions of which are extended beyond the straight edge of the core-piece to form an attaching-portion.

6. A pull-on device for boots and shoes consisting of a tab comprising a segmental core-piece and a covering-piece formed to extend over the curved edge and beyond the straight edge and ends of said core-piece and secured thereto.

7. A pull-on device for boots and shoes consisting of a tab comprising a segmental core-piece and an inclosingpiece molded about and fitting snugly the core-piece and secured thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. HURLEY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE A. HURLEY, EDWARD W. BARRETT.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G." 

